Kiss with a Fist
by bellring1990
Summary: "Firstly, Black doesn't give a fuck about me and I most certainly don't give one about him!" Marauders' era. A Sirius/OC fan-fic I know, I know, another one... SB/OC JP/LE one-sided, unfortunately, they're still in their sixth year
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer**: This might shock you but I am not JK Rowling. Therefore, I do not own Harry Potter or any of its characters. I'm just inspired by this amazing world and characters._

_**An**: I have a couple of things to say here..._

_1) This is my first fan fiction and I have been writing it since last Christmas, I think. Well, actually it is already written (plus some random stories, connected with it) but I'm translating it from Bulgarian to English (which, for a girl who doesn't speak English fluently, is not an easy job : D ). And I haven't worked out the whole "title on every chapter" thing yet, I'm sorry._

_2) I'm very nervous and insecure about this; I've never had enough courage or self-confidence to post it anywhere until now so it would be really great if you could review! :)_

_3) Unfortunately, there are some little inaccuracies - for example, my James (Lord, it sounds so good, MY James ...) is not a chaser but a seeker. I hope that wouldn't be a problem._

_**Kiss With a Fist**_

_**Chapter One**_

"Honey! Wake up already!"

Emily opened her eyes. She stood up slowly, still hearing her mother's voice resounding in her ears, and looked sleepily around.

The sunlight was filtering through the curtains, playing with their iridescent blue color,and reflecting green shades on the big mirror inside her room. The balcony door was wide open which was explaining the shivering of her limbs. The cool air was rushing in the room, along with the moisture of the last night's rain.

A lovely morning.

No, actually an awful morning. September the first. For the sixth consecutive time. In Hogwarts.

"Em, darling, breakfast is ready and you should hurry up! You don't want to be late, do you?"

Her mother, Ellis Green, appeared at the door. The sun shined on her golden hair like a halo and strengthened the influence of her already angelic face.

"Of course, I want to be late, mom. I want to miss the train and stay in this room, trapped forever!" She accompanied her skeptical look with the special 'evil-plan laugh'.

Ellis smiled, wearily shook her head and hid in the hallway.

Emily sighed, stood up and staggered towards the bathroom. The sickeningly familiar reflection managed to irritate her yet again, that's why she chose to finish the morning obligations, which required a mirror, as soon as possible. Long light brown curls, greenish-blue eyes and a pale ordinary face.

"EMILY, EXCUSE ME, ARE YOU STILL ALIVE?"

She was startled, slipped on a black polo and tight jeans, and ran away the stairs.

* * *

September the first, mixed with platform 9 3/4 was literally a killer combination. The first-years were the worst. They were gathering in groups, taking over the platforms, screaming like mandragoras and threatening to sweep away the passers-by with their enormous trunks and cages, in which they kept animals, not any less noisy than themselves.

"Hey!" A little boy with a sack, much bigger than him, clashed into the person next to Emily. "I'm so sorry!"

He looked at him timidly and tried to pull away his bag, as soon as possible.

Sirius Black stood over in all his impressive stature and looked at him haughtily and arrogantly, which wasn't something unusual.

"Give it here, retard… uh…young man…" He grabbed the bag with one hand, caught it under his arm and walked with quick step toward the train.

The boy ran after him.

Stupid Black, also known as Mr. I-do-not-give-a-damn, always had to pretend to be some kind of big hero, except when he was busy hexing someone in the hallways. The only heroic thing about him were his insults, directed at the Head of the house, which unfortunately, they shared. When you added to it his haughty appearance, the arrogant way he brushed his hair back, and his reserved and unfriendly attitude, Sirius Black formed the ideal of every stupid enough girl in Hogwarts – and most girls in Hogwarts were apparently stupid enough, cause the individual in question was considered a god among the students.  
"Darling, you are quite spacey today" Emily's dad spoke quietly.

"Uh…Sorry, I've just…pondered over…school, you know?"

"You better get on!" He looked at her for a second, before pulling her up and crashing her in a hug.

"Don't forget to write!" Ellis kissed Emily's forehead, wrapped her in her coat and handed in the suitcase.

"Yes, yes, of course…"

Emily performed her duty of waving from the window with an awkward smile. When the driver played the horn for the last time and the train set up a howl, she sat in the empty carriage and had a sigh of relief.

The compartment door slid open sharply and the untidy head of James Potter peeked in.

"C'mon, boys, it's empty!"

"Just Mr. Potter being nice as always."

He grinned.

"Oh, hey, Green, I didn't see you. How's the vacation?"

"Well, it is…over, actually."

He laughed, sliding on the sit next to her.

James was a spectacled athlete (two completely incompatible things, according to Emily), and the hero of the course. Alright, of the entire school.

"You can congratulate the new captain."

"Oo-or" She dragged the word. "I can not."

He gave her a surreptitious look.

"They made you a captain? Dumbledore can't be serious…"

"Damn right, Green. No one can be Sirius but he's a little too old for that, anyway."

Slightly smiling, Black entered resolutely in the cabin, sat on the seat opposite to them and made a room for their two other friends – Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew.

"Will you ever stop showing off, mate?" Sirius had a deep sigh and looked at Potter with a bored air.

"Well, I was just trying to say it's not surprising at all, you know, that I was elected for captain…In fact, I did expect that, considering how bloody good I am! I'm playing on a world level and it should not shock us that I might get accepted in the league before I turn seventeen."

Emily rolled her eyes.

"Well, with your mental capacity and level of creativity, our chances to get the cup are hu-u-uge."

"Thanks, Green, that's very sweet of you!" said James tenderly.

Sirius bit his lip and shook from the sudden fit of laughter. Emily glanced at him and opened her bag, taking out a book.

"What are you doing, woman?" Potter stared at the cover like it was a dust-hole.

"I am reading?"

"You are in a compartment with James-fricking-Potter and Sirius-bloody-Black and you prefer to…read?"

"Damn right, mate" Emily imitated Black perfectly.

Remus smiled approvingly, while James just shrugged and threw a few cards at Peter.

"Exploding snap, pal?"

"Sure!" Answered absently Pettigrew. "But I have to admit, I'm a little hungry. When will the express lady come?"

Potter gazed at Remus.

"What?"

"You are the only one here, who is good at divination." Explained James like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Sirius and Emily giggled simultaneously.

"Well, I'm very sorry but I have to go to the front carriage" said in a calm voice Remus. "James, would you get me a chocolate frog, please?"

"Yes, sir, I most certainly would!" Potter saluted with a grin.

Remus tossed three sickles at him and left the carriage.

A suspicious hush fell over the compartment. Emily slowly looked away from the book, seeing James' brown eyes staring at her.

"Can I help you?"

"Uh… We have to be a foursome for the game-e-e…"

* * *

"Hogwarts". Majestic and breathtaking, as always. The moonlight was bathing the castle, making it even more mysterious and unfathomable. The towers were rising, piercing the mist and its splendor made Emily shiver with delight.

As usual, they got out of the carriages and, between the sudden jostling, Emily didn't realize how minutes later she was sitting between Sandra Wheel and James Potter, despondently spooning out her mashed potatoes, after another boring sorting ceremony. It was hard to believe that now she was sharing the house with children, called Algernon and Mycroft.

"Are the potatoes good, Emily?"

The reason why James Potter was talking to her was just as confusing as an Arithmancy lesson for Frank Longbottom.

"Well…" She swallowed. "It's fine."

"The chicken is a little dry…"

"Potter, why are you talking to me about food?"

He frowned and fixed his eyes on the plate.

"Oooh, I'm sorry, did I hurt you feelings?" She gave him a shove. "What's going on?"

"Alright, fine!" He lifted up his head with a look of entreaty. "I was wondering if you…If you could, you know…Help me with Evans?"

Emily choked over her food and James had to pat her back, until she spit out the piece of sausage.

"EEW!" Sandra gave the sausage a disgusted look and turned to Remus Lupin, who was sitting on the other side.

Emily pulled a face and spoke slowly, assimilating every word.

"I could intervene, yes. But I don't think that even if hypothetically you had my support, Lilly will agree."

James impaled a piece of meat with such fury that the fork creaked on the plate and Emily trembled with the sound.

"W-well…" The little humanity in her prevailed and she patted Potter on the shoulder. "When they accept you in the National Quidditch League and you become famous not only among a group of teenagers…You might get lucky."

He gave her a faint smile and passed her some of his chicken.

"Try it; I swear it's dry!"

* * *

Emily was unpacking and throwing clothes around, when she finally gave up, grabbed her almost empty trunk and turned it around, tipping everything over the bed.

"Sweetie!" Lily Evans rushed into the room and threw herself on Emily. "I've missed you so much, Em, you are all grown up!"

"Aunt Margaret, is that you? You haven't aged a day!" Emily grinned as Lily frowned at her. "I've missed you, too, Lils, but hey, we talked last night…"

"Well, yes but it's not the same." Said in irritated tone Lily. "Now, help me, Green."

Emily let out an exasperated sigh and grasped the second handle of Lily Evans' enormous trunk. They lifted it with great efforts and dumped it down her bed.

"Merlin, it weights as much as Slughorn…" Emily opened the trunk. "Where's everybody?"

"They are still eating." Answered Lily, carefully taking out her robes.

"Oh…" Emily continued unpacking Lily's stuff quietly, waiting for the right moment. "By the way…Weirdest thing today…"

The other girl looked up curiously.

"Well, um, James Potter sat next to me during dinner and…"

"Oh, no! I see where this is going and just…no" Lily crouched and opened her cupboard.

"Oh, come on, Lils, at least look at me!" She stood up and raised an eyebrow. "Thank you…Well, basically, he's not that bad."

"Emily!" Lily almost squealed, tossing her heavy dark red hair over her shoulder.

"W-what, what, I'm just saying that we might've been wrong…"

"No, you are wrong right now!"

"Have you ever talked to him normally, Lil?"

She sighed heavily and sat on the bed with a thump.

"I don't need to talk to him, Em, **I watch him**."

"Totally not creepy" Muttered Emily.

"You know what I meant! Would you go out with Black?" Lily looked at her victoriously.

"Wh…How…But…That's totally different!" Emily folded her arms.

"How?"

"Firstly, Black doesn't give a fuck about me and I most certainly don't give one about him! And secondly, you can't compare an annoying human being to a pig."

Lily smiled.

"But you know that actually you do like Black!"

Emily guffawed.

"Sweet Merlin, Lils, you are truly insane! I like everyone and everything but him!"

"Oh, really?"

"Really." Said she firmly. "I like you, I like Remus, I like Pettigrew, I like Frank, I like Alice, I like Jessica and I partially like Sandra, I like Dumbledore, I like Yorkshire pudding, I like Arithmancy and Charms, I like Slughorn's absurd laugh and when McGonagall is so angry that her face is redder than your hair, I like Kurk Shelby's six pack and I even like James Potter! But I don't like Black."

Lily roared with laughter.

"Ok, you don't like Black. But I don't like Potter as well."

"Fine!"

"Good!"

"Alright!"

"…Now what?" Asked after a few seconds Lily.

"I like Fizzing Whizzbees…" Shrugged Emily.

Evans grinned and rummaged through her trunk, taking out a package with sweets.

"We're lucky, bestie."

"We certainly are!"


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter two**_

"My grandmother used to say that a new morning brings us a new adventure…"

"Shut up, Alice." Grumbled out Emily, covering her head with the pillow.

"You, guys have to wake up anyway!" Prewett snapped. "They served the breakfast an hour ago!"

"An hour?" Lily squealed and jumped out of bed, putting on the Hogwarts' robe right over her pajamas. "I'm going to the prefects' bathroom, see you, girls, down below!"

She rushed off the staircase.

"Maybe we wouldn't be sleepy, Alice, if you hadn't woken up at two o'clock last night!" Muttered Jessica. "Don't take this too personally but I'm not actually bumming with desire to hear about your love adventures with Frank Longbottom half-awake!"

"Some of us do have a love life, Jess." Sandra cut into the conversation.

Emily rolled her eyes.

"Sandra, your love life is reduced to chasing after Remus Lupin."

"I don't follow him!" She laughed at her. "We have a relationship."

"Yes, yes, you do…But he doesn't know about it!"

Sandra crossly shook her shirt in front of Emily's face and took flight to the bathroom.

"You didn't have to be that rude." Alice looked at both of them objectionable.

"I was just honest." Grumpily answered Emily.

"Yeah, he's not even flirting with her." Added Jessica.

"He's always very nice when he talks to her…"

"He is Remus, Alice, he is **always** very nice! Period." Emily almost yelled.

"I've heard that!" Sandra screamed from the bathroom.

* * *

Sirius leaned against the disgusting pink stool, tried to stretch out his legs and somehow managed to trip up Scot Roberts from Ravenclaw.

"Mr. Black!" Their Divination teacher, professor Holingberry, looked askance at him. "Go to Green!"

"W-what, why?" Sirius was startled and almost kicked the cup with tea leaves.

Holingberry folded her arms and nodded towards Emily, who was shaking her head, horrified.

"You have to be in couples for tessomancy."

"Can't I be with James?"

Everyone laughed in their sleeve.

"In another life, maybe. Go. To. Green."

"But…"

"Please, professor…"

"Go, go, come on, Black…Hmm, let's see…Potter and Evans…"

James jumped happily and crawled to Lily's cushion.

"Lupin and Pettigrew can stay together; Thomas and Johnson in this corner, please…That's lovely. Harris and Moore, you two can go there…"

"Hi." Sirius flopped down on the floor, next to his Divination partner, and grabbed her cup.

She pursed her lips and waved him irritably.

"Ooook…" He ignored the noise and stared at the bottom. "I see…something very ugly…"

"Sandra after years…" muttered Emily. "I see something like a broom…Which probably means that you'll be a water-boy in the Quidditch League."

He frowned.

"This is not a broom."

"Sure it is!"

"No, it's not."

"Come on, Black, James will need irrigation! He's too bloody good to play thirsty!"

"For your information, I'm a great beater."

Emily's eyes widened.

"But of course you are, that's why you are on the team!"

"I'm not on the team not because I can't but because I don't want to." Sirius snapped.

"Sure, sure…"

Black glared at her for a second, then had a look at the cup.

"It changed! Now it is almost like a fat layer of tea leaves."

"Merlin, how shocking! And yours is a…circle."

"Sprout is in my cup?" Black gasped.

"Sprout is not a circle, bonehead, she is a planet!"

"Black, Green, are you ready?"

They looked up.

"Erm… Almost, professor…" Emily waited Holigberry to turn around and continued. "So, the tryouts are in Friday. Are you going, Sir Black?"

Sirius cocked his nose.

"My schedule is packed."

Emily laughed out.

"Seriously!"

"Alright, then how are you going to prove me that you really are a good beater?"

He became thoughtful for a minute.

"Well, I could fling something at you…"

"And girls nowadays dare to say that gentlemen have become extinct."

"What fools, indeed…"

"Green and Black!"

"Blue and red!" exclaimed in reply Sirius.

Everyone giggled.

"Why don't you inform us what are you seeing in your cups?" She folded her arms.

"Well, I see tea leaves, professor."

Holingberry looked with an injured air and opened her mouth.

"Kids today do not appreciate the magic of an art like divination, thinking that life offers them everything on a platter and fate doesn't mean anything…"

"Not when the karmic circle reveals that Uranus is in the eighth home of the ninth moon of Venus, Professor ..." James said aloud.

Another fit of laugher.

"Another common mistake is the confusion of astronomy and prophecy. Let me explain the differences and reveal the advantages of the magical world of…"

Lily fiercely hit James with newspaper "Astral numbers".

* * *

"When do the trials start, mate?" Sirius kicked some unidentified book out off the table.

"Next week." Answered with a wandering look James. "Why?"

He was sitting on the sofa across the table, along with Timothy Tyson, Morgana Jenkinson and Angela Harper.

"Just… asking."

To check whether Green is as smart as she thinks she is.

"Wanna join the team, Sirius?" Timothy looked at him suspiciously. "Be careful 'cause my cousin is a great beater and so am I…And you probably don't want to be a chaser."

"Was that a threat, Tyson?"

The other boy smiled faintly.

"Of course, you could try for a keeper…If you like the feeling of fractured bones." Said warningly Morgana.

James pushed Angela away and folded his arms as the portrait opened and Remus and Peter walked in, along with Evans and Green.

"I'm not after you stupid post, Jenkinson…I'm not after anyone's post, actually, I don't wanna be in your clumsy team!"

Green passed by with a teasing smile on her lips.

"What's so funny?"

She flickered at him innocently.

"You, being a coward?"

"Why's that?" Asked cheerfully Potter.

"Because your friend here is too afraid to admit that there's one thing he's not good at."

"Have you tried everything else, in which Sirius is known as a professional, Em?" Morgana winked at her.

"No, frankly, I haven't"

"And do you want to?"

"I would rather die in agony. Now, excuse me, but I have Potions after fifteen minutes and a shirt, soaked with raspberry juice, thanks to Peter's lovely reflexes."

And she fled away the staircase.

* * *

The evenings, the cold ones in particular, spent in the common room, were one of the few truly wonderful things at Hogwarts.

The crackling of the fire, the soft armchair and the pouring rain outside outweighed even the Marauders' presence and Emily relaxed, rereading again the paragraph about human transfiguration.

The portrait opened and Jessica and Alice walked into the room, giggling.

"Ivan Bennard is standing outside!"

"Hihi, he asked us if we could tell Lily to come out!"

Emily looked at them, clearly annoyed, and directed her eyes to the book again.

"Evans and Remus are taking the first-years round the school." Shouted unfriendly James. "I can go out there and tell that git to…"

"Easy, soldier." Said calmly Emily, without raising her eyes of the book.

"Yeah, James, it would be better if one of us went there…" They both looked persistently at Emily.

"Oh, for the love of…Fine, I'll go!" She sighed, stood up sharply, forgetting about the pile of books in her lap.  
The crash of their fall, followed by Sirius's laughter, startled Timothy Tyson, who had been napping on the sofa – he jumped, swore something under his breath and turned his back on them.

Emily shrugged, threw Frank Longbottom's remembrall at Black and pushed the portrait.

Ivan was standing outside, tall and dreamy, as usual. His golden curls and blue eyes were capable of making even Emily melt but c'mon, the boy was worse than Black in some situations.

"'Sup, Bennard?"

"Hey!" He smiled widely, showing his inhumanly white teeth. "How are you, Emily?"

At least he wasn't a vain, arrogant, impudent bumpkin. He was actually pretty nice.

"I'm fine, thanks…Lily is not in the common room, some prefect's duties… I'll tell her you've been here."

"Thanks but could you tell her something else?"

"Sure, what?"

"That I'm getting really impatient."

She raised an eyebrow.

"With?"

"Well, with her. It's been two weeks since she promised to convince you to go out with me."

Emily choked with laugher.

"Nice one, Bennard."

"See, that's why I need Lily's help!"

Still cheered up, Emily opened her mouth slowly.

"Apparently, I need to talk to Lily myself…See you at dinner, Bennard."

"But hey…"

Emily shook her head with a slight smile on her lips, and walked in.

Potter was striding nervously around.

"Emilia!"

"Jameswell!"

"Ha-har, what did he want?"

"It's none of your business, big boy."

She started to walk towards the girly staircase but Potter stopped her urgently.

"Come on!"

"Nothing from you…or Lily. How's that?"

"Then from who?" He almost thundered at her.

"From me!"

Suddenly, his face went slack.

"Oh…Alright, then, you can go."

Emily looked over him astounded and went upstairs.

* * *

Lily and Emily were enjoying the abundant dinner, talking in the short intervals when they weren't eating. It was more than obvious that most of the students are still in a holiday mood as they were laughing out loud, talking animatedly, with no sign of tiredness. The first week was always glorious.

"I still can't believe, though, he actually **wrote you** to ask you…that?"

Lily shrugged.

"I guess he's really into you."

"But…"

"I am warning you as nice as I possibly can, do not say 'why'." Evans gave her an angry look.

"I was going to." Admitted Emily. "Don't blame me, I'm confused, he doesn't even know me…"

Lily looked jokingly at her.

"What?"

"Em, darling, he is a boy!" She groaned. "He is a boy and you look lovely, nothing else matters!"

Emily shook her head and attempted to say something when suddenly Dumbledore rose and asked for attention.

"Forgive me for interrupting the last, but of course not least in level of importancy eating of the day, but I'd like to make two small announcements. Firstly, as you've probably already heard, the first visit to Hogsmeade this year will be this Saturday."

Ragged clapping. Dumbledore smiled and continued.

"And secondly, as you know, in October is the jubilee of the most astonishing and bright Hogwarts' founder – Rowena Ravenclaw. "Hogwarts" has always been renowned for its high requirements. But there are some times when it would be good for all of us to take a break from this quite full schedule and try out something fun. Therefore, I announce that after five weeks a ball will be hold!"

Everyone fixed their gaze on him.

"A very spontaneous but I do believe a good idea…Do I have your approval?"

"…HELL YES!"

No one was sure who had shouted because he was followed by the happy cries of happiness and applauds of hundreds. Lily was screaming out noisily, jumping in her seat.

"I must tell you that you are expected to bring a partner. He or she, depending on your preferences" He smiled upon the students. "Can be from whichever house you want. Thank you."

Well, the first week was always glorious, indeed.

It was fascinating how a couple of words were able to cheer up every single person in the room and five minutes later, all Emily could think of was when exactly Lily's screams will deafen her.

Hogwarts' students were quite nippy with the invitations, too. It was enough for Black to just sit calmly and look good to be attacked by a dozen of girls, who pestered him like mosquitoes, and hid him from view.

Potter and Snape, the dolt who called Lily a 'mudblood', were both looking sorrowfully in Evans' direction.

Lily, on the other side, was gazing at Emily, clearly planning something wicked. And Emily knew what exactly it was.

"Lil, I am begging…"

"I'm thinking about something blue." She interrupted her thoughtfully, standing up and urging Green towards the exit. "Deep blue, because your hair has some reddish shades and your eyes…"

"My hair is br…"

"Not on sunlight, duh." The girls continued climbing up the staircase.

"Yes, I forgot about all the sunlight in the Great hall during the night."

Lily rolled her eyes.

"For me something iridescent…"

"Oh, sweet Merlin…"

"…And flowing… _Challenor__Olham_!" The Fat lady drew aside. "And now the hair…Hmmm…How about a long straight cut for you and a curly ponytail for me o-or…"

Emily gave out a guttural sound and closed the portrait with a crash.

"Thanks a lot!" The Fat lady's shriek was muffled.

_**An**__: Ok, I'm really sorry the first few chapters are a little weak-minded... Excuse my grammar; I hope there aren't any serious mistakes._


	3. Chapter 3

**_Chapter three_**

The snow this year was again quite ahead of its season - it started snowing the day when they were visiting Hogsmeade – an unpleasant surprise for everyone, except for Emily.

The weather outside was gloomy and cold and everything was covered with driven snow.

Lily was pouting, mumbling something against the weather, wrapped up in two sweaters and a woollen robe. Emily was jumping for joy around her, catching the snowflakes and pulling the pompons of Lily's purple hat.

"Leave it!"

"Oh, come on, it's amazing!"

"There's too much snow" Answered grumpily Evans. "And too little sun."

"Well, if there was a bright sun, the snow would've melted."

"To hell with it!"

Emily busted out laughing and snowballed Jessica, Sandra and Alice who were just coming out of Gladrags Wizardwear.

"Be careful, the dresses!" Alice stood up in front of Sandra, who was holding three huge bags.

Suddenly, Lily's face lit up and she rushed toward her friends.

"Did you buy them, Merlin, let me see them, come on, come on, hurry up!" She was stubbornly trying to peek into the bags.

Emily shook her head and turned around, facing Ivan Bennard, who had appeared out of thin air, a few centimeters from her face. She screamed and jumped back.

"Thanks."

"Uh…Sorry…"

"It's ok, don't worry." He laughed. "It's good to see that someone is enjoying the weather."

"I've always loved winter." She shrugged.

"Then you are lucky to study here because we are able to enjoy it since the end of September."

They cast a glance at each other; Emily gave a faint smile and hasted to join her friends, even though that was equal to listening about make-up and dresses all afternoon, when she noticed them** in the distance. **Only Lily's hat and her hair, in contrast with the black robe, could serve as a landmark but the girls were way ahead anyway. She couldn't dash after them - the risk of falling flat in front of Ivan Bennard's eyes was too high.

"Why don't you walk with me for a little while?" He leaned closer, as if he was reading her thoughts, and swung his arm over her shoulders. "My friends have disappeared, too."

"The loneliness league." mumbled Emily and carefully got out of his grasp.

"I'm not lonely when I'm with you."

She directed her gaze to the ground, clearly confused and slightly horrified.

"I want to talk to you about something, Em…"

Emily sighed and lifted her head.

"I'm listening."  
Bennard took a deep breath.

"Would you like to go to the ball with me?"

"Ivan…" She stopped in front of him and looked him in the eyes. "You…You don't know me. Like…at all."

"Yes, I do. I know thousands of things about you."

She arched her eyebrows.

"Alright, firstly, this scares me a little bit. And secondly, name three."

He rolled his eyes.

"Fine…Fist, when you are happy, you show it clearly. Like a couple of minutes ago with the snow. It's a good quality, do not lose it… You cut the crust off your sandwich, then slice it to small pieces… I've come to talk to Gryffindors, it makes an impression"

She blushed scarlet.

"Uh…Out of habit, my brother, he was eating it like that and…"

Ivan ran a hand through his curls. The little sun was shining on them, making their coppery colour brighter.

"And…You're very good at arithmancy…I know, 'cause I saw you helping Lily once and thought this means something, considering that Lily never needs help with the homework."

"I…"

"Emily, please, just say 'yes', ok?"

"Um…I just…"

"Why is it so hard to believe that someone really likes you?"

"Ivan, I…"

"Why?"

* * *

Emily furiously rushed in the Three Broomsticks; she quickly ordered herself a Butterbeer, ignoring the Marauders, who were sitting at the bar, and came near to her so-called 'friends'. The girls were laughing at a table, near the window.

"Ladies." She snapped tartly. "Are you enjoying yourselves?"

"Well…" Lily stared in wonder. "Yes, we are."

"Drop it, Lil, you've abandoned me with Bennard!"

"I know." She grinned. "How was it, tell us everything!"

It was possible to quell her enthusiasm as it was possible to extinguish the fire caused by fire-breathing dragons.

"He asked me to the ball."

"Aaaand?" The four of them looked at her persistently.

She had a deep sigh before coming down the chair.

"And I accepted…"

Jessica and Lily almost screamed their heads off. Peter Pettigrew stared at their table with fear. Emily was sure that secretly Potter was hoping that someone is attacking Lily so that he could do something heroic.

"Please, you're such **girls**." She covered her face with her hands. "I don't know what I was thinking…"

"Calm down!" Lily, herself, needed to come down. She was staring at Emily with glassy eyes, pursing her lips crossly. "Stop it already! Relax!"

"Yes, yes…" Nodded Sandra. "And get me a Butterbeer…"

She stuffed four sickles into Emily's hand.

"Is there something wrong with your legs?"

The other girl looked at Remus nervously.

"My hair…"

"Sweet Merlin!"  
Emily straightened up and hurried up forward, tossing her arms in random directions.

"Green can't stay away from us!" James smirked. "Hello again, milady."

She rolled her eyes.

"Hi, James."

"We actually wanted to talk to you…Our Peter here is so good-hearted that he agreed to come down to your level and take you to the ball!"

She pulled a face.

"Very funny, it's a pity that I already have a date."

"Who's the unfortunate fellow?" Sirius looked at her.

"It's Hagrid" She smiled at him and grabbed the Butterbeer.

"Your fake 'I-don't-care' attitude makes cracks in James's glasses, Green."

"Maybe I would've given a damn if I wasn't talking to an arrogant dolt like you…Bye, guys." She waved at the other three boys and returned to her table.

* * *

"So…" James folded his arms, looking at the other boys inquisitively. "What are we gonna do, fellas?"

"Personally, I'm going to write my homework." Remus knitted his eyebrows as Sirius grabbed his parchment and threw it away. "What for the love of Mer…"

Everyone ignored him.

"I suggest another sickness."

"Not another one, Prongs, it's too suspicious already." Sirius looked at him warningly.

"You just don't want me to tell the people that we're staying here to look after Remus!"

"Well, excuse my unwillingness to be associated with a bloody nanny!"

"Or a good friend." Snapped reproachfully James.

"No. Saying that we're going to look after Moony makes us nothing but a bunch of governesses. Nannies. Baby-sitters…"

"We got it, Pads." Remus smiled bitterly.

Sirius sighed.

"I'm sorry, chum, I just…"

"No, it's fine. We have to use the illness, though."

Black shrugged.

"Alright then. But let it be a simple cold this time."

"I agree, Prongs, please, not another upset stomach."

"I was just trying to vary your health problems!" James answered with an injured air. "Excuse my creativity."

Remus shook his head.

"I still can't believe that the full moon coincides with the ball's night." He said sorrowfully. "I actually wanted to go, it will be…spectacular."

Padfoot snorted out.

"Yeah, sure…Some homo decoration and… stupid people."

James gave Remus a faint smile.

"He's just mad 'cause he can't ask Emily to the danceees" Prongs imitated dancing waltz.

Sirius rolled his eyes. They were teasing him about Green since the fourth year when he laughed at her joke about Slughorn's pants so much, that he spit his milk on Wormtail.

It was a good joke, damn it, but this wasn't changing the fact that…

"…Green sucks. Stop this already."

"Oh, alright, sure…Then you won't mind if I tell you what the legend says?"

"What does the legend say, James?" Asked with vexation Sirius.

"It says that she is going to the ball with Ivan Bennard." James grinned as his friend looked sharply.

"Well…" He began searching the right words. "She is…even more stupid than I thought she is."

"Well, you like them foolish anyway, mate." James lied down as Sirius tossed Remus's book at him.

* * *

The following few weeks went monotonous and painfully, while Emily's daily round was a mixture of studying, homework, eating and sleeping. It was a dark gloomy Saturday afternoon, there was a week left until the ball, and, most probably because of the lack of pineapple, Slughorn had again surpassed himself with the homework – ten parchments about poisons.

Emily walked rapidly the empty corridor, looking through the window, and quietly walked in the library. Madam Pince glanced at her with disapproval and hid in the small room behind her desk.

Emily, continued between the shelves, looking for the necessary book, when she saw him – Sirius Black, leaning against the wall, **reading** **a book; **a phenomenon hardly anyone could have witnessed.

She cursed mentally and turned around too quickly, knocking down three of "Transfiguration in the 19-th century" huge books. Sirius raised his eyes from the page.

"Uh…" She reached down for the books. "Hi…"

No answer followed.

"I'm here because…the homework, S-slughorn…"

Dead silence. She shook her head and tried to walk away as fast as she could. When suddenly…

"What happened to your principles, Green?"

"Excuse me?" She turned so quickly that her hair bounced up ten times on her shoulders.

"Ivan. Bennard." He took a step toward her. She went round him.

"It's none of your business, Black. And who told you?"

"Bennard is showing off"

For the love of God, she was the one who should be showing off.

"Don't be naive, Green, he doesn't like you."

Emily came closer to the wall, stared at him and clenched her fists.

"Let me tell you something… You are always rude, overproud, arrogant… Looking haughty and bored, acting impudently with the teachers, talking normally only with James, who, by the way, may be an annoying pervert but at least he's treating the rest like normal people…On the other hand, you will always be a big-headed, inflated with pride and mentally unstable JACKASS with serious manliness complex and a bunch of obsessed adorers whose brains together hardly make a chicken's one!

As much as I try to find at least one positive feature of everyone, it's just not possible to do that with you, and the only reason I might collapse in your presence is because boastful, cocky jerks like you make me SICK! And by the way, you might think th..."

Emily couldn't finish.

Her mind didn't even register when Sirius had come closer, nor when he had pinned her to the wall between the two lines. She felt his hand on her waist, which confused her and even took her breath for a second - plenty enough time for Sirius to kiss her. Her clenched fists dropped down, she wrapped her right arm around his neck, he took her left hand and entwined their fingers, pulling her to him, sliding his arm down, pulling up her leg… Emily pushed him away furiously.

"What the…"

"I wanted you to have something for comparison when Bennard brings closer his fish mouth in the middle of the ball."

Emily exhaled slowly, raised her hand which was previously enterwined with his and now it had left its mark of his cheek.

Sirius roared with laugher, let her push him and yelled as she scooped up her bag and ran away.

"Slughorn will get mad, young lady!"

_**An**__: This one is quite short but it just had to finish this way. _

_Any opinions or reviews would be very helpful so…Yeah. Thanks to everyone who is reading this sh…story!_


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter four**

It was way too tedious how he was able to make them take off their shirts faster than Peter was eating a cake.

Another gloomy afternoon, another half-naked girl, the same annoyingly familiar classroom and the same feeling of weariness in his stomach.

Just a normal day in Sirius' life.

Well, except that there was nothing normal in scrutinizing how the raindrops were streaming down the window or thinking about **Peter**, while Rachel Clark, five foot ten and extremely good-looking, was trying to undo the button of her skirt for the tenth time.

"No need." His hand stopped her sharply.

"Is everything ok?" She asked out of breath.

"Yes…No, actually. I forgot that…I'm busy."

Rachel drew back obviously disappointed and put on her shirt even faster than she'd taken it off.

"Yeah, whatever, it's fine." Judging by her harsh timber, it definitely wasn't fine. "I have to do a couple of things myself…"

Sirius neglected her attempt to hug him.

"Yeah, well…See you."

Hardly. He leaned on the desk and closed his eyes, trying to disregard the resounding steps in the corridor. Rachel was running.

She was certainly hurrying to do her urgent job…

It was stupid and he would never confess to the boys but he fell into despair so hard that **he went to the library **and **picked a book.**

The saddest thing – he was concentrated. He was actually reading "Wizards in Iceland during the late Middle Age" with **interest. **

Sirius was just wondering whether to laugh or cry, hidden among the shelves, when the sensational crash interrupted his thoughts and the re-reading of the paragraph about the signing of the Old Covenant in 1262.

Emily Green, in all her glory, had just practically knocked down a whole pile of books and now she was picking them up not very gracefully and cursing not very elegantly.

"Uh…" She stood up and gazed at the shelf. "Hi…"

For the first time in his entire life, Sirius Black didn't know what to say.

"I'm here because…the homework… S-slughorn…"

Emily shook her head and tried to walk away as fast as she could when suddenly Sirius lost his temper and snapped at her.

"What happened to your principles, Green?"

"Excuse me?" She turned so quickly that her hair bounced up ten times on her shoulders.

"Ivan. Bennard." He took a step towards her. She went round him.

"It's none of your business, Black. And who told you?"

"Bennard is showing off."

It was true. The worm was swanking around.

"Don't be naive, Green, he doesn't like you."

Emily came closer to the wall, stared at him and clenched her fists.

"Let me tell you something… Blah, blah, blah, blah… Blah, blah… Blah, blah, blah… Blah. Blah, blah, blah…"

He didn't hear a word. It wasn't important.

What mattered was the way she was flinging her arms about it, the way she was tossing her hair over her shoulder, the way she was glaring at him.

The moment had come. Sirius put his arm on her waist and pinned her up between the two lines.

He felt Emily's confusion, as well as her reluctance to draw back, and took advantage. Black kissed her for relatively long and withdrew, looking into her eyes.

_What was that stupid muggle quote Moony was talking about yesterday…? "The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it". Nailed it, Pads, you don't even need to take Muggle Studies to be the best at it._

Very well then, he yielded to the bloody temptation but for Merlin's sake, Sirius wasn't feeling to be rid of it, on the contrary – he wanted it even more.

_This bloody muggle was lying. What was his name anyway? Oscar-something…It sounded passionately…wild…Wilde! It was Wilde…Was he Irish or British…or both? And the guy from the book…Something with 'D'…He was handsome just like Sirius and his surname sounded like a colour just like Sirius's…And Emily's…Why was Remus even studying literature, wasn't this class about coping with electricity and stuff…Emily's bright eyes were looking at Sirius persistently; they had this really odd greenish shade and holy crap, was he thinking about her eyes instead of her bum, what was happening…Gray, the guy's name was Gray, spelled with an 'A', though and DAMN IT, BLACK, JUST KISS THE GIRL._

He leaned down and kissed her again. She responded with excitement, wrapping her right arm around his neck, and almost jumping out of the ground while he lifted her.

Sirius didn't know how much time has passed. It seemed too little.

But he never understood how it happened that she slipped away and pushed him furiously.

"What the…"

_Keep it cool, Sirius, don't lose self-control, and just remember you are Sirius-freakin-Black._

"I wanted you to have something for comparison when Bennard brings closer his fish mouth in the middle of the ball."

_That's right, make fun of the snot, be cool, be careless…FUCK, the girl knew how to slap someone in the face properly._

Sirius laughed out loud, let her push him again and yelled as she scooped up her bag and ran away.

"Slughorn will get mad, young lady!"

At least there weren't any thoughts Wormtail.

But he hadn't got rid of anything.

Except for the boredom.

* * *

"But…On the lips?" Reiterated astounded Lily.

Emily sighed and continued copying out the characteristics of the aconitum.

"Where else?" She asked testily.

"I don't know, I just can't believe that Sirius Black…"

"Shhh…" Both of them turned around jerkily to see if someone of the other four had heard Lily.

Fortunately, the were occupied by the regular things – Black and Potter were laughing in their sleeve, writing something that definitely wasn't the characteristics of the aconitum; Remus was taking notes and Peter was napping over the desk.

"I'm really…shocked." Continued Lily. "This is just…"

"The secretion of the glumbumble induces melancholy and the treacle is used as an antidote to the hysteria caused by eating Alihotsy leaves!" Slughorn's voice made the room ring and startled Peter, who jumped in his seat, throwing down his carefully collected in a jar secretion.

"If he interrupts me one more time…" **Lily Evans** actually stared at **Slughorn** **furiously**. "I swear, I would…"

"Mr. Black, may I ask what are you doing now?"

Evans pursed her lips and gave the professor a spiteful look, saying as caustically as she possibly could.

"…Interrupter."

"Um…We're talking about the characteristics of the glumblum, sir." Answered loudly Sirius.

"Glumbumble!"

"Exactly, sir! Potions make me so happy!"

Next to him James nodded enthusiastically in approval.

"Oh…Alright then, I'm sorry, boys." Slughorn looked softly at their cheerful expressions. "Oh, and, Sirius, my boy…Tell your brother to brace his energies, we need to win the Cup this season!"

"Sir!" Exclaimed James, while next to him Sirius had suddenly become still. "Don't speak like that in my presence"

"Ah, Potter, I…" He was clearly embarrassed. "Forgive me, my boy, I didn't mean to…Oh, Merlin…"

Everyone tried to hide their laughter, while Sirius, whose expression was impossible to read, was holding tightly the quill in his fist and was writing scrawling so hard that a normal person would have thought that he was ripping the parchment apart.

"I've forgotten that Black has a brother…" Mumbled Lily. "How was it…uh…?"

"Regulus." Helped her Emily. "Regulus Black, fourth-year."

"Oh, yes, I know him, last year, when I was patrolling, he…"

"If you have finished with the notes, you can stand upright, because the time presses us!"  
Lily glared at Slughorn and leaned further down.

* * *

The atmosphere in the girls' bedroom was dangerously tense.

**Lily's wanton tresses were falling down flawlessly. Jessica's wanton tresses were also fine, although they weren't falling down very well on the left; Sandra had forgotten to pinn her graceful curls up with a sparkling diamond hair pin and, for the love of Merlin, Alice didn't even had wanton tresses!**

"What a disaster this night is!" Exclaimed Emily, widening her eyes in an affectedly horrified look.

"I'm really sorry, Em?" Said timidly Sandra.

"About what?" She asked in surprise, forgetting about teasing the other four.

"About you hair." Wheel patted her on the shoulder pitifully. "It **is **a disaster, indeed. Your **chestnut locks are not styled in a straight cut but simply in a ****half-up ****half-down look…" **She shook her head while Emily flickered sceptically.

"This is just…" Cheered up, Green half-closed her eyes. "I'll have to live with that somehow…"

Sandra continued staring at her, perfectly serious. Alice, on the other hand, smiled at Emily and turned her towards the mirror.

"You still look stunning, though…"

Emily snorted but Lily's face lit up proudly.

As her best friend and personal stylist had predicted, she was dressed in a sapphire-blue strapless gown with an embellished bodice. Her hair was styled in a loose, curly half-up hairstyle and her grandmother's silver necklace was completing the look.

"You truly are."

"Shut up and look at yourself, Lil."

She kept things simple, as usual, in a flawless nude champagne floor-sweeping gown with pink and gold beads and a side swept fishtail braid, capped off with a diamond hair pin.

"Well, let's just say that we all look great and go down because Frank is always early and I don't want to make him wait!" Alice opened the door, waiting impatiently for the girls to come out.

"Have a good night, ladies!" Jessica smiled widely when she saw Timothy Tyson waiting for her next to the fireplace in the common room. "I'm about to have one myself!"

She ran towards the Gryffidor's beater, passing by Alice and Frank, both blushed like roses, looking innocently at each other.

Lily was going to the ball with Derek Brookes, Ravenclaw's prefect and since Emily was going with Ivan Bennard, Ravenclaw's Head boy, they made their way down the Grand Staircase together.

"Where's the undivided duo anyway?" Green asked.

"Oh…Remus is sick again." She bit her lip. "They're looking after him."

"That's actually pretty nice." Admitted unwillingly Emily. "Although I can't stop imagining Black in a white overall…" She smiled faintly. "But another illness… What's wrong with this boy, what is it this time?"

Lily blushed.

"Potter made me promise not to tell…"

Emily gave her a surreptitious look.

"Fine, apparently he had eaten something spoilt. He is vomiting."

"Ew." Generalized the other girl, and wrinkled her nose. "Poor, Rem, though, I'll go to see him tom…"

She breathed as she spotted Ivan. He standing was near the door of the Great Hall, staring at one of the marble columns and looking…

"Oh wow you're just breath-taking." Emily turned around to see Derek and Lily.

"Thank you, that's so sweet… You look quite handsome, too…" Yeah, yeah, blah, blah, I'm-Lily-always-nice-to-everyone-but-Potter.

"Thanks but you're just so… charming…"

Emily shook her head, slightly smiling. Brookes was such a **gentleman**.

"Lil… I'm… Yeah." The prefects were talking animatedly, ignoring her so she took a deep breath and came closer to Ivan, who finally saw her.

"You are…" He opened his mouth. "Just… stunning."

"Thanks." She smiled at him. "I'm not the biggest… ball-dresses' fan…" She smoothed down the chiffon skirts and looked around, clearly feeling out of place. "I find it weird how you put on one and suddenly people start to flatter you."

"That's why I said 'are', not 'look'" He smirked. Emily blushed, something really not typical of her. "Anyway, I find dresses very unpractical, too. That's why I have only two in my wardrobe."

She laughed while Ivan drew out a wrist corsage, weirdly matching her dress.

"What's that?" She looked at the flower suspiciously.

"Devil's Snare, Emily."

Her catching laugher was followed by his smirk, while the doors of the Great opened and they slowly walked in, along with the other students.

Emily widened her eyes from admiration, stunned by the place.

The ceiling was lit by thousands of candles, as usual, but this time they were sparking in different shades of golden and the muted light was creating a mood; the four long tables were replaced by thousands of small ones so that there was a huge place for dancing.

"The Trouble-bloods" were performing at the place where the staff table usually was.

"Come on, let's dance!"

"Ivan, I…"

He pulled her to the dancing floor, and span her around. It was hard to resist Bennard's charm and all Emily knew was that a couple of minutes later she was dancing something between jig and polka, laughing out loud while he was twirling her.

The slow dancing, on the other hand, was quite a challenge, considering his charm again. He was whispering clichés in her ear and even though she really hated sloppy talking, he was making them sound so good that even her reflexes were thrown into confusion.

"Ben… Uh.. Ivan!"

"Huh, yes, beautiful?" He was startled and looked at her with confusion.

"I'll go get something to drink."

"Oh, no worries, do you want me to go..."

She shook her head.

"Thanks but I wanna look around anyway. What do you want?"

"Just a Butterbeer, gorgeous.." He attempted to kiss her when suddenly his friend, also a seventh-year in Ravenclaw, Andrew Jones appeared.

"Ivan!"

"I'm a little busy, mate." Bennard hissed.

"Yeah, I can see." Jones grinned at Emily.

"No, it's fine, I'll be back in a minute" She said and walked away, trying to push her way through the dancing couples.

"Hey, watch you feet!" Emily had involuntarily pushed no one else but Regulus Black.

"Uh, I'm sorry, I just…"

"Emma, right?"

"Emily."

"Oh… I remember you." He smiled faintly.

Last year her bag had torn and he helped her carry her books to the portrait.

"Yeah, I used you like a sumpter-horse couple of months ago."

He smiled again.

"You're from Sirius's course, right?"

Emily nodded while Regulus looked around.

"Where's he… My brother?"

"He is baby-sitting." Emily grinned as he knitted his brows. "I mean, he's helping a friend."

"Oh… But you guys are friends, right?"

She burst with laughter.

"No, we're actually in something like… an endless war."

Regulus gave her a slight smile.

"There isn't such thing as an endless war.."

Emily opened her lips to say something but he continued.

"Anyway, would you please tell James Potter or my brother that your first match this season will be with Hufflepuff? Our beater has broken his arm so..."

"Sure, I will… That sucks… for Hufflepuff."

They both grinned. Regulus looked at one of the tables.

"My date is waiting for me so.."

"Oh, sure, go…" Emily smiled at him.

He waved his hand and turned his step towards the table while Emily took two Butterbeers and stealed behind Ivan and his friend. They were discussing something ardently and she was just about to interrupt them when she overheard what they were talking about.

"Ten galleons tomorrow, mate."

Ivan laughed at him.

"She's almost ready."

"Yeah, sure…"

"Trust me, I know exactly what I'm doing."

_What the actual fuck?_

"I dunno, pal, she looks quite sensible to me."

"That doesn't mean she **is **sensible, right? I told you this is a stupid bet considering that I can make even McGonagall melt but there's no way back…"

_No, seriously, what the hell?_

"Easy, cowboy."

"I am telling you tonight I'll sleep with her and then…"

_Oh, boy._

Emily stepped back but Andrew's laugh reached to her ears.

She needed air. She just needed some air.

* * *

Emily ran, leaving the bottles on the first table she laid her eyes on, and slammed the doors open. In the halls there was a notable difference – it was cool and silent. Emily kept running and went outside, letting the icy air pierce her.

She was gone without a robe, of course.

Without stopping, she removed the stupid wrist corsage and let the little flowers scatter around the snow, trying hard to step over as many as she could.

Emily didn't notice when she had reached the Whomping willow and she barely managed to lie down when one of the branches came flying in her direction. She felt sharp pain through her cheek - it felt like her eye was about to explode. She swore a few times and saw that half of her body was laying on the frozen stood up with difficulty, looked around and just when she was on the point of going back to the castle and slapping Ivan Bennard really hard, she noticed her grandmother's necklace sparkling in the middle of the lake_._

She had to take it back. Emily reached out for her wand and even though she had hated gowns all her life, she had never despised them as much as she did in this very moment.

Of course her wand wasn't here. It was in the girls' bedroom, on the bedside table, right next to Lily's. The option of going back to the ball, passing through everyone, including Ivan, and asking someone for help wasn't satisfying in particular. Especially because she wasn't bursting with desire to leave her most precious item in the middle of the lake.

The only alternative was to take off her heels and move-slowly, giving a meaning to every step. She was hardly breathing; trembling all over, and cursing the dry frost. The necklace was a couple of steps away; she stretched out and grabbed it. Emily drew a sigh of relief, realizing that half of her plan was performed. Shivering, she took the road back, hastening her pace, and suddenly, she heard it.

Emily didn't even have time to hold her breath or to scream, the sound of ice cracking caught her off-guard and she fell headlong down in the black water. The cold turned into physical pain in seconds, it burst into her stomach and pressed against her lungs. She was trying to come to the surface, even just to scream so that someone can hear, but she couldn't, and the fabric of her dress was getting heavy and pulling her down. She screamed out for the last time and let the water envelop her…

It was dragging her; some force was harnessing all its energy to make her come to the surface.

But Emily didn't want to emerge; she wanted to stay in the lake, the water was wrapping her warmly, making her feel perfectly fine.

"Stop… flapping… like a fish… Fuck… Fucking dress…"

The air pushed her in the face like a cold wave, she tried to open her eyes, but the water was burning and all she could see were blurry spots – one of which stood out. It was the moon, perfectly round, silver, full.

It was extremely annoying to try to take a breath in vain. Emily closed her eyes, feeling the warm bliss again, just before someone flopped her down not very carefully on the ground. She felt someone's lips on hers; then air, a lot of air that she eagerly swallowed, spitting water everywhere.

"Fuck… Stupid girl... Your stupidity should be forbidden by law and…"

"Sh…ut…up…Black…"

Sirius helped her to stand upright and she continued choking, spitting water everywhere.

"Oh, of course, even after you've almost drowned, you won't miss telling me to shut up.."

He tried to let her go, but Emily clutched at his robe. His look softened.

"Are you at least ok, dumbass?"

She nodded slowly.

"And stop… insulting me…you…asshole…"

Sirius grabbed Emily's necklace from the ground and picked her up.

She closed her eyes, buried her face in his chest and finally sank.

**_An_**_: So, huh, Sirius the rescuer. I hope you'll like this one :)_  
_Thanks to everyone who is reading this! I'll really appreciate your opinions, no matter if they are positive or negative! :))_  
_Also, the scene in the sixth-years' bedroom before the ball is the girliest thing I've ever written in my entire life haha_  
_~Kelly_


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter five**_

"You have to tell me when she is going to wake up! You just **need** to tell me right now because I simply can't wait anymore!" Lily's squealing reverberated in Emily's head.

It took her a few seconds to realize that she was awake.

_Bollocks__. She was awake. _

She was bloody awake when all she wanted to be was fast asleep. Merlin.

_Alright, Emily, just lie still, as motionless as you possibly could, and she will go away._

"Miss Evans, I am just a _nurse._" Madam Pomfrey dragged the last word with her timber suggesting how irritated she was.

Emily could _bet_ that Lily had given the poor Matron the needle. They all knew her – Miss 'High level of determination' was capable of anything until she was satisfied with her success.

She was _walking on thin ice, _though. The nurse was damn mad.

_No. No more thoughts about bets and ice and stuff._

"I know exactly what you are, Madam, but do you know what I am? Ha? I am out of temper!"

"You are asking me for the twelfth time… Don't look at me like that, yes, I do count them… And for the twelfth time. I. Don't. Know."

"I'm going to throw something at you; I swear I am going to…"

"Easy, _fierce lady._"

_Oh no._

"Stop trying _Poppy's _patience."

_Oh bloody no._

"Shut your mouth, you twit!"

Evans snapped, pressing some wet clout to Emily's forehead.

"You need to calm down, woman, she doesn't have a fever…"

"Ahhh, James Potter, your voice is music to my ears" Emily decided to rescue Madam Pomfrey and made a move.

"Emily!" Lily lunged forward, crashing her in a hug and kissing her head motherly. "I was so scared, bestie, I wanted to know when are you going to wake up so badly but apparently **this lies beyond the school nurse's competence…**"

Madam Pomfrey folded her arms crossly and hissed.

"I'll go somewhere… away from you! Kiddies…"

She left the Hospital wing dramatically. James broke into a laugh.

"Nice one, Evans, you manage to piss off the only nurse in the school." He said proudly.

"Yeah, Lils, we all know you are probably better at Potions than her but come on, she is a professional woman…"

Both Potter and Emily grinned at each other as Lily snorted imperturbably.

"How are you feeling, swimmer?" James merrily pulled the clout aside her forehead.

Green sighed.

"I feel _tired_ actually."

"Woo-ho-ho, Merlin, being unconscious for… Well, three multiplied by twenty-four… How many hours does this make, seventy eight? And still being tir…"

"Seventy two, Jamie darling, it's so elementa… Wait, what?! I was unconscious for three days?!"

The Potters nodded.

"H-how… How is that even possible?!"

"I dunno, Poppy said that apparently you needed a rest.."

"Stop calling her like that, Potter, it's not like you're friends or something…"

"That's right, we're not just friends, Evans, we're _friends with benefits._"

"Guys!" Emily's voice raised an octave. "This is really… Just… Like... Impossible. I can't _afford _being unconscious for three bloody days, oh, Merlin, I've missed so much in school, I have… I haven't even eaten, have I?"

"Poppy gave you some vitamins."

"For Merlin's sake, I have to get out of this bed right now!" Emily attempted to stand up but James pushed her back not very gently.

"Not until you tell us what had actually happened… three days ago."

"Why were you outside…" Lily looked at her persistently.

"More important, why were you splashing around with the Squid?"

"..And why didn't Ivan come to visit you? Not even once?"

"How was it, you know, being rescued by a good-looking soldier like Sirius?"

"And seriously, everyone came, I was here every day before and after classes, so was Remus, Peter brought you flowers and Potter, well, he was here all the time, too.." Admitted reluctantly Lily, rolling her eyes with vexation as James grinned at her.

Emily sighed and rested her head on Evans's shoulder.

"This is going to be long…"

"Oh is it spicy?" James clapped his hands, imitating perfectly a girl. _Wonder why…_

"Partially." Emily smiled bitterly. "But you'll probably be late for… it's Wednesday today, right? So, you're gonna be late for Transfiguration."

"A spicy story **with **a bonus." James grinned. "I'm perfectly ready."

"So am I." Said Lily, glaring at him.

"Alright then…"

* * *

"And apparently that bugger was challenged by his friend."

"Blast!" Sirius bit his lip. "So the arse just wanted to bang her?! This gave me a bit of a jolt!"

He rolled his eyes and grabbed a book from the table in the common room.

"Pads." Remus said in a very sensible tone. "The only person who you're fooling with this fake attitude is yourself."

"I have no idea what are you talking about."

The boys sighed.

"Allow me to quote…"

"On you bike, Moony! Not another stupid muggle quote; _they are all lying_!"

"James. I was going to quote James." Remus smiled as Prong's face lit up.

"Oh, no…" Sirius snorted out, knowing exactly what was coming.

" '_I can't just sit here and lie like a trooper the most awesome people in the world, the most awesome people being you, guys, and myself, so_…'"

Remus gazed expectantly at Sirius.

" '.._So I'll just spit it; I love Lily Evans, I wanna kiss her, snog her, marry her and have bloody perfect kids with her_.'" Finished with a very bad grace Sirius. "But that was about Evans, it has nothing to do with Green!"

"What has nothing to do with me?"

He turned around, seeing Emily behind the sofa, and screamed out.

"Glad to see you, too."

"Em!" Remus nudged James and they both slid on the sofa, making a room for her.

She sat timidly and rested her head on her knees.

"Am I interrupting something?"

"No, of course not." Moony said flatly and wrapped an arm around Emily's shoulders. "How are you?"

"Oh not that tone, I'm not to be pitied."

The other two smiled faintly.

"You would've been if it wasn't for.." James met Sirius' gaze and fell silent.

"If it wasn't for… _Sirius_, yes."

It was weird hearing that; her calling him 'Sirius' and admitting _nicely_ that she was _grateful._

"Yeah, yeah, you can set me up a monument whenever you like."

Emily and Remus cast a glance at each other and she had a deep sigh.

"Seriously, Black, I just… It was… Well, thanks. Very much."

"Whatever." Answered Padfoot flatly. "It would've been too rude if I had let you drown."

Remus half-closed his eyes and shook his head with vexation.

"So, Em, I guess you could use a little tutoring, three missed days at Hogwarts are like years in a normal school.." He laughed at his own flat joke while James just sneered at him.

"That would be nice, thanks, Remus." She smiled tenderly.

"We could start right now! Just let me bring my books and my Transf…"

Emily laughed out loud and pulled him back on the sofa.

"No, no, I appreciate it but I can't think on an empty stomach. I haven't eaten since the accident and apparently" She glanced at Potter cheerfully. "_Poppy_ has given me only some vitamins so I really need food which is… like… normal."

Remus holded up his hands and smiled upon her.

"Alright then… Go change and be there after ten minutes, we'll have some normal food and then you can brace yourself, because we'll spend solid time studying!" He said it like he was telling her that the Minister of Magic is in the common room and he had brought them and a pile of presents and a couple of Orders of Merlin.

"Sir, yes, sir." Emily saluted with a grin and sat up straight, slowly directing her steps to the girls' staircase.

Moony and Prongs both followed her with their eyes, which, a second later, were directed at Sirius, staring at him angrily.

"What?!"

"Do you always have to _that_ rude?" Remus pursed his lips. "The poor girl…"

"The poor girl, the poor girl…" Black waved like a maniac, his voice rising with an octave. "It's not my fault she's just… well… stupid!"

James ignored his friend.

"I'm just relieved she didn't ask why Pads was out so late…"

"It's never late for her to do it because we all know she's just so curious and annoying and obtrusive and importunate." Grumbled Sirius.

"If she does, we'll tell her that I was a really annoying patient and he needed a breath of fresh air…" Remus took no notice of his monologue.

"And that you were vomiting really bad and…"

"Shut your face, Prongs, no more talks about vomiting! So yes, and you, Sirius, knew that everyone was on the ball and you decided to go out and…"

"I got it." Black rolled his eyes. "Do I look like an idiot?"

"No but you were acting like one back then… Which, by the way, is stupid, mate, cause we all know how much you care and how you luuurve Emily and how…"

James lied down, escaping a candle, thrown at him.

"I don't care at all!"

"Oh yeah?" Potter grinned, came closer, pulled the book off Sirius's hands and turned it around. "Then I should inform you that this interesting reading must be read as all the rest interesting readings. _Not _backwards."

He patted his head and crawled back, sitting on the floor. Then looked around impatiently and sighed.

"This woman is going to get ready at least two hours, isn't she?"

Remus just glanced at him.

"What? I'm hungry…"

* * *

Emily was playing a good knife and fork, helping her to some more meat for the tenth time.

"Am I witnessing this monstrosity?" James was looking with a half-open mouth.

"What?" That's all she could say before gobbling the next mouthful.

"N-nothing… Just… The food… Merlin."

"Am I interrupting something?" Ivan Bennard appeared out of nowhere, smiled at them and leaped across the bench, sitting between Emily and Remus and right in front of Sirius, James and Peter ; each one of them was looking at him like he was going to be segmented soon which probably wasn't that far from reality. "Mind if I join you? I need to talk to my beauty here." He winked at Emily.

"We do mind, yes." She winked back, leaving him stunned for a second.

"Oh, please, tell me you're not mad at me for not visiting you at the hospital."

She gave him a sassy smile.

"How could I be?"

Ivan bit his lip, running a hand through his curls for, probably, the hundredth time.

"I'm really sorry, baby, I know I should've but trust me, since this very moment I am not going to separate myself from you until I.."

"Until you get those ten galleons from Jones." Finished Emily.

Ivan seemed to have lost his self-control just for a second, his eyes slightly widening from surprise, but then he continued in the same calm tone.

"What are you talking about, beautiful?"

"I'm going to interfere." James smiled calmly. "Get lost, my friend."

Ivan turned his eyes on him.

"Or?"

Potter just glimpsed at Sirius and shrugged.

"Or don't hold us responsible."

Ivan laughed at him and continued talking to Emily.

"Seriously, what's going on, why are they acting like that?"

"Really?" Said Emily, clearly worn out. "Just go away, Bennard, do me that favour, please."

He looked around with fake confusion.

"I don't understand what is going on…"

"Now listen to me, enough with that shit, just.. disappear!" She pushed him away from her.

He caught her by the elbow and hissed at her, making both Sirius and _Peter_ rising a little bit from their seats.

"What?" Emily snapped at him, raising her right eyebrow. "What exactly are you planning to do with me, in front of these strong fellas and the entire school? Huh?"

"Don't you worry about that…"

James flickered.

"Is this happening?" He was clearly trying very hard not to laugh. "Bennard, seriously, let her go.."

"Or what, Lupin is going to give me a detention?"

"You just… Uh.." Emily slipped away and looked at him crossly. "Go find someone stupid enough to sleep with." She quoted the last words and waved towards the Ravenclaw's table.

"Fine." Ivan stood up and looked at her for the last time, dragging the next sentence. "But glory to your aural impressions, Emily, cause otherwise you were going to be stupid and desperate enough to sleep with me."

"And that, ladies and gentlemen, is my fist finally being in the spotlight." Sirius smiled pitifully and in the next second Ivan was almost laying over the Yorkshire pudding.

Everyone in the room looked at their spot. James waved at the suddenly hushed crowd and smiled nicely at McGonagall, who was almost running towards them, crosser than two sticks.

"For the love of Merlin, what is going on here? Stand up, Bennard, stand up right now! Oh, Lord, look at you… Are you insane, Black, are you insane?!"

"A little, professor, yes. It can be useful." Answered Sirius politely.

Many students guffawed which annoyed McGonagall even more.

"Do not provoke me, Black, the bed-pens need to be polished."

"Well…" Sirius lowered his voice just like her. "Let's polish them together, professor."

She could hardly breathe, gotten purple in the face with anger.

Sirius took advantage, stood up slowly and nodded at Emily.

"Don't take it personally; I really needed a reason to punch that worm."

Whereupon he just walked to the door, exclaiming over his shoulder:

"Good night, losers!"

And hid in the hallway with all his dignity.

* * *

_**An**: I know, I know, it has been a while and if I still got any readers I shall ask for forgiveness. I'm really sorry, guys, there were a lot of things on my mind and no freaking time. I also want to ask you for a favour. Please, please review and tell me one thing: Does the grammar and my English in general suck? Because I'm really insecure and any advice will be helpful, at least I should know if the translation is not good so I could try to improve it. Thanks! :)))_

_~Kelly_


	6. Chapter 6

Remus Lupin lounged on the sofa, with his legs slightly stretched out on the nearby stool.

Recently, his daily routine had become unbearable – homework, homework, homework. And even though Remus had always loved homework, he was already dying to return home and sleep the entire vacation.

Next to him James and Peter were shaking with anticipation for Sirius to come back from McGonagall's office, talking nervously about _school_, which was definitely saying something.

"Moony likes those Grindylows, he always says that-"

"But I like Grindylows, too-"

"No, Pete, you don't understand, they mostly survive on fish but when.."

His knowledge about Grindylow was interrupted by Mr. Black, who pushed the portrait and entered the common room furiously, kicking the first stool he saw and flopped down on the floor next to the sofa.

"So it didn't go well, huh?" James grinned.

"That… woman… sends me home for two bloody weeks." Black said slowly, breathing heavily toward them, containing his anger with great difficulty.

"You are suspended?!" Potter shrieked. "No, the game is after two days, who's gonna watch my brilliant game, h-how.." He met Sirius's gaze and fell silent.

"Oh, come on, Padfoot, this is not a punishment at all! The winter holiday starts after two weeks, it's perfect, it's like two extra weeks of sleep." Remus smiled.

Sirius sighed.

"I'll just think about Moony's home…"

"The winter holiday…"

"Just the four of us…"

"A lot of sleep and food, and pranks…"

"And troubles…"

James and Sirius grinned at each other approvingly.

"Yeaaah…" Remus dragged the word, looking at them cautiously. "About thaaat…"

"Lupin." Sirius said warningly. "What have you done?"

"N-nothing.. I just… There might be a liiittle, tiny problem…"

"What problem?" James answered sharply.

"No, no, nothing serious, just…"

"Spit it, Moony!"

He sighed and drew back.

"I kinda… invited someone else, too."

Sirius closed his eyes, obviously terrified.

"Who exactly?" Asked James, already knowing the answer.

"A friend." Remus slowly pulled back the metal candlestick next to Sirius.

"What friend?"

"A good friend."

"How good?"

"Very good."

"Oh, for Merlin's sake!" Peter stormed at them. "You can continue with this forever, just tell us if you've invited Padfoot's girlfriend!"

Sirius looked at him stunned.

"Emily Green is not my bloody girlfriend!"

"Funny… No one has ever mentioned Emily." James grinned as Sirius pulled a threatening face. "Seriously, Moony, is she coming?"

Remus sighed desperately.

"Yes."

"…He's dead."

Sirius jumped off the sofa and threw himself on Lupin with a fighting scream.

"Uh, auch, oh.. Sirius, stop it!"

Remus jumped to his feet as well, grabbing the first weapon he saw, which, in this instance, was a paraffin lamp.

"I'll use it, I swear I'll use it!"

Sirius breathed heavily and swiped at him with some thickly bounded book.

"Pads, no!" James shrieked, standing in front of Remus. "Look at him, he is so _frail_!"

Sirius stepped back, breathing furiously.

"How come Green is coming, too?!" He thundered.

Remus turned up his nose imperturbably.

"In my defense, the poor girl is having a hard time and just needs someone to distract her, ok?! This is the wrong time for her to return home! Besides.. she's my friend and she's a very nice girl."

"And what is she going through, ha?" Sirius snapped bluntly, desperately trying to sound careless.

Remus hesitated for a second; then said with conviction.

"I promised her not to tell anyone, especially you."

"She asked you not to tell me in particular?! Who does she think she is?" Sirius was waving his arms uncontrollably again.

"You don't care anyway, do you?" James arched his eyebrow.

"Don't arch your ugly eyebrow at me!" Black bawled. "I don't. I just need a good excuse from _Lupin_ for making me spend the entire vacation with that… with that…freak!"

Remus looked at him, cheered up.

"No one is forcing you to come, Pads, if you don't want to – don't come."

Sirius's left eye was trembling angrily.

"Oh, shit, it's the tic again..." James stepped back, pulling Remus at his sleeve and looking at Peter. "Get away, Pete, he can hurt you."

"It's not funny at all!" Padfoot raged. "He…" He pointed Moony accusatorily. "Is choosing her over _me_! Over me!"

Remus sighed desperately and half-closed his eyes.

"Stop being ridiculous! What is your problem with Emily anyway?"

"Well…" Sirius pondered for a second. "I hate her."

James choked with laugher.

"Whatever." Answered seriously Remus. "You know what, I have never said a word against any of your friends, no matter how annoying or vexing, or unbearable they are! And now, for the first time, _I_ have a friend besides you, who is really nice and with whom I can talk and share and…"

"You haven't told her, have you?!" Sirius almost shrieked, his eyes widening with horror.

"No, I haven't told her." Remus snapped. "Yet." He added, looking cheerily as Sirius groaned and slid down the sofa. "Relax; I just like watching your insane reactions… But seriously, guys, Emily is coming and that's it."

"I'm curious about one thing, though..." James scowled. "She doesn't mind that Sirius will be there?"

"Yeah, yeah, thank you, mate... Has she no shame?" Sirius stood up again, and waved as dramatically as he could. "Is she that hypocritical, being so rude with me all the time, and at the same time being about to spend the holidays with me? Ha?!"

Remus bit his lip, gazing at the floor.

"Well, um… I might have told her that you… are not coming…"

James ignored Sirius's moaning and stared at Moony.

"What is wrong with you?"

"Well, otherwise, she wouldn't agree to come!"

Sirius flickered angrily, demented with Remus's logic.

"Can we stop that conversation, please? I want you, guys, to come and I want Emily to come, too so… just… please!"

"Well, I have nothing against her." Said James diplomatically. "She's Evans's friend and she's funny."

"No, she isn't, she is deadly dull…"

"I agree." Peter smiled, leaving Sirius ignored for a hundredth time. "And she's really nice, I like her."

"I don't, she's antipathetical…"

"Good, it's decided – Emily's coming!" Remus clapped happily.

"It's not good; nothing is decided yet, nothing…"

"Oh, I'm honestly so glad, it's so easy to talk with her, she's really understanding!"

"No, she isn't, she's mean and rude, and stupid…"

"I might teach her how to fly on a broom." Said excitedly James.

"No, don't, she is phlegmatic and slow, and her reflexes are…"

"My mum will really like her!"

"No, she won't, your mother is a sensible woman…"

James, Remus and Peter slowly looked at each other and each of them hurled a pillow at Sirius.

* * *

Lily walked into the girl's dorm quietly and approached Emily's bed, poking her left arm lightly.

"Em… Hey, Em-"

Emily mumbled something and turned round. Lily sighed, stared at her for a couple of seconds and smacked her shoulder.

"OUCH, WHAT THE-"

"I'm sorry but it's only nine p.m."

"So?!"

"Well, it is too early for bed unless you are Popp… Madam Pomfrey."

Emily rolled her eyes and tugged her blanket.

"Get lost, Evans"

"Black had been suspended."

"What?!" Emily stood up on the dot, certainly becoming fully awake, looking all wide-eyed and stuff. "Who told you?"

"Well, the man himself. He was thundering around how McGonagall told him she wasn't able to deal with him anymore and that he must go home and then, after the vacation, he is going to study with her after the classes to catch up-"

They both bit their lips and tried to stay serious.

"Worst. Detention. Possible."

"Still, he is controlling himself surprisingly well. He hasn't broken anything yet."

"I am impressed."

"And one more thing… I couldn't help myself hear… As he was being louder than a mandrake… Did you know that he is coming at Remus' too?"

"WHAT?!" Emily threw her pillow away. "I KNEW IT! I KNEW IT, IT WAS TOO SUSPICIOUS THAT HE WAS THE ONLY ONE OF THE FOUR NOT COMING AND WAAAY TOO UNBELIEVABLE THAT HE WANTED TO SPEND THE HOLIDAY WITH HIS FAMILY, MERLIN, WHAT IS WRONG WITH REMUS, IS HE SICK OR-"

Lily lifted the pillow and pressed it against Emily's face.

"MMMPHPPPMMHMHM… GET THIS OFF ME!"

"And you calm down!"

"I am upset, Lily, for being the dumbest person in the world and letting myself in for this… well... shit."

"It's not the end of the world."

"It is pretty close, though"

"Don't go then?"

Emily sighed and lied down.

"I caaan't, I already promised, it would be too immature to bail out just because I don't like Black. Plus, I really don't want to be home, you know."

Lily suddenly gazed at the dying candle next to the bed.

"What did you parents say by the way?"

"Um.. They preferred this, I guess… They knew it would be better for me."

The other girl nodded seriously.

"I think so, too. And you'll have fun, you'll see. Well, not with Mr. 'They-should-make-the-marriage-between-a-person-an d- Quidditch-legal" and his bitch but Remus is really nice and Peter is really… well, comic."

"I suppose-"

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS IS HAPPENING TO ME; THAT BLOODY OLD… ARGH, FROM A SHORT DISTANCE SHE LOOKS LIKE A RAISIN, JAMES, HAVE YOU SEEN HER-"  
Something crashed down, apparently hurled by Sirius, and broke into pieces.

"At last!" Lily rubbed her hands and patted her Prefect badge. "Excuse me but I have the right to yell at him for breaking a school's property and I cannot resist!"

She jumped happily and fled out of the bedroom.


End file.
